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Quiet Creek Herb Farm and School for Country Living-2013

Sustainable living, now more than ever, requires a commitment to reducing energy use. Quiet
Creek Herb Farm and School of Country Living in Jefferson County has
long been a leader in teaching others about sustainable production, and
reducing the use of fossil fuels.

Claire
and Rusty Orner operate both an herb farm and a non-profit devoted to
teaching children and adults about sustainable living. Installing high
tunnels was an important move toward self sufficiency for them,
helping them produce food for their home and their Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) program and teach gardening classes. Harnessing solar
and wind power was a natural addition, letting them reduce their power
bill and teach others about the process.

Soil Food Web

Underneath the soil of
the tunnels and raised beds are the real workhorses of the farm: the
soil mycorrhizae. These soil fungi colonize the roots of the plants and are
responsible for supplying the plants with nutrients. "We now know that
we can't simply supply nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, to plants
and expect that they will grow. We need the fungi in the soil to act as a
conduit between nutrients including water and the plant through the
root hairs of the plant," Rusty said. "It's a mutual relationship,
for the plant in turn returns sugar molecules to the bacteria."

To encourage the growth of mycorrhizae,
the Orners grow organically and plant the same family of plants in the
same area in multiple years. "The mycorrhizae from last year's tomatoes
should help my tomatoes grow this year," Rusty said.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

The Orners use various methods of enhancing soil health and reducing pests: